Tales of Faith
by Selah1292
Summary: These are stories where God has moved in my life
1. Chapter 1: No smoking!

**TALES OF FAITH**

**Introduction**

We tell our children and witness to others the stories of miracles and faith in the Bible. They say, "Yes, but those things happened a lo-ong, lo-o-ong, time ago." So here are some tales from my life and I challenge other Christians to think of stories from your own lives to tell to your children and to use to witness to others.

**Chapter 1 **

1973-1974

I started smoking cigarettes in 1964 when I was thirteen years old. It was purely because of peer pressure, but we didn't know about all the dangers caused by smoking when we were kids. I never developed a strong addiction. I would usually smoke three packs (or less) per week.

In the summer of 1973, I got into a huge fight with my dad. (I should say argument - no blows were exchanged, just words.) Anyway, I was so upset that I started smoking two packs a day.

After two weeks, Daddy and I made up and I cut back on my smoking. The only problem was that I started feeling nauseous when I would light up a cigarette. So I tried switching to menthol. That worked some; I didn't feel sick when I'd first light up - at first, but I'd start feeling sick before I finished each cigarette. Then I found I could only smoke without feeling sick when I was drinking. So when I'd go out to the bars with my friends, I'd buy a pack of cigarettes and leave them when I left. One night when we were at a bar, I bought a pack, lit one up, and started feeling sick right away. That was the end of my smoking and I've never been tempted to take it back up. Of course, I still feel sick whenever I smell cigarette or cigar smoke.

I realized, after I got saved, that this was God working on my life before I'd even made the decision to follow Him.


	2. Chapter 2: Just go to sleep

**Chapter 2**

July 1977

When I was pregnant with my second son, I became depressed. He was illegitimate; my electricity was shut off; my water was off; my gas was off; and I didn't have a job. The gas wasn't an extreme problem since it was in July and we didn't need heat and we were cooking on a small hibachi grill. The water was the main problem. I went to pick up my last check from the last place I had worked and it was just barely enough to pay the water bill.

I drove to the east side of town to pick up the check and then headed for the west side of town to pay the water bill. While I was traveling on I-70 across an overpass on my way across town, I began to feel drowsy. I started thinking, _What am I doing bringing another child into the world when I can't even support the one I have? It would be so easy to just let myself fall asleep and let both of us be killed._

The next thing I knew, I was coming to and still couldn't yet see but I realized I was accelerating (or at least I thought I was). I was terrified! I thought that any moment I would be crashing through the guard rail and down onto the road below.

As my vision cleared, I realized I was actually slowing down! My foot was on the brake, not the accelerator; and I had guided the car over onto the shoulder without going near the guardrail!

At that time, I knew that God had guided my hands and foot and that He didn't want me to take my life - or the life of the child I was carrying. I also realized I didn't really want to die


	3. Chapter 3: New life!

**Chapter 3**

1978 - July 1979

After I had Jeremy and got my weight down, I went back to work as a go-go dancer. Then a friend of mine told me his boss needed a secretary/girl Friday. I went and talked to Danny and he hired me to work six hours a day.

When Jeremy was almost a year old and Jonathan was four, I began practicing yoga with a program on TV. I was still in a backslidden state and hadn't yet turned my life over to Christ, but I knew that I shouldn't use this as anything more than an exercise program. At the end of each program, the instructor would have the class go into a relaxation pose and meditate. I also knew that I wasn't to meditate on anything but the Bible, so I started looking for scriptures to meditate on and when the instructor would have us meditate, I would meditate on a scripture.

At that time, a friend (who claimed to be a magician) had lent me a book that I was reading that contained information on all of the new age practices. It had astrology, numerology, yoga and many other things. After I read about half of the book, I realized it wasn't of God and that I shouldn't be reading it.

I was tired of the kind of life I was living at this time, so I went to the unemployment agency to try to find some kind of job that would lead into a career. They had me take some tests to see what kind of work I could do. I made high scores on everything. When the counselor told me this, I said, "Great, so now what do I do?"

She started making suggestions and at one point she said, "Or you could go to college, or you could…"

I stopped her and asked, "What was that you just said?"

"I said you could go to college."

"How could I go to college? I don't have any money. I live hand to mouth as it is."

"Well, there are loans and grants to help you pay your way."

"So how do I get them?"

"Go out to IUPUI and apply for admission and then ask them where the financial aid office is. That's where you apply for the loans and/or grants."

I went out to IUPUI and applied for admission and for the grants. They warned me that the grants may not come through in time for that semester and that I may have to wait until January to start. However, a month later, I got the letter telling me I had a grant that would pay my tuition with enough left to pay for my books and supplies.

A few months earlier, I had had some things stolen from me that my mother had loaned me. When I realized I couldn't find her sewing machine, I had to call her and tell her I thought it had been stolen as well. She said, "I've got something to tell you, too."

I thought, _Oh no, she's going to tell me she's not going to let me borrow anything again._

But what she said was, "You know my diamond ring you always wanted?"

I said, "Yes."

And she asked, "Do you still want it? I've lost the diamond out of it, but you could get it replaced."

The ring she was talking about was her engagement ring that I used to wear when it didn't fit her because of her weight. I was 13 at the time and I thought it was one of the most beautiful rings I had ever seen. I had told her that when she died, all I wanted was her ring.

A few days after I got the ring from my mother, I was on my way to work and I started thinking about all the good things that had been happening in my life. I had a regular job (although I was still dancing two nights a week); I had been accepted for admission to college, as well as for grants to pay for it; and my mother had given me her engagement ring. I realized I should be thanking Someone for all the good things that were happening in my life. Driving down the street, I started praying and thanking God for all He was doing for me. Tears pouring down my face I said, "Lord, I swore no man would ever again tell me what to do, but You tell me and I'll do whatever You say."

The next night that I worked as a dancer, I gave notice to my boss that it would be my last weekend dancing. The next night, my babysitter's mother wouldn't let her baby sit so I didn't go back.


	4. Chapter 4: Pray for Terry!

**Chapter 4**

(1979-82)

When I first got saved, my sister-in-law, Andrea, came over and asked me if religious shows were all I could get on my TV.

I said, "No, but that's all I want to watch." Then I said, "I wanted to tell you something. You're welcome in my home anytime, but when you've got the devil with you, leave him outside the door before you come in,"

She was quiet for a few minutes and I said, "I don't want you mad at me; I just want to live my life for Christ and I can't have the devil around tempting me to fall back into my old ways."

"Oh, I'm not mad at you," she said, "I'm just going to tell people to be careful what they say to you or you'll think they're possessed."

Well, after that she stayed away from my house for the most part. She's show up everty few months and tell me she was clean, showing me her arms. But I never believed her. I could tell by the way she acted that she was still shooting speed.

One day I got a call from my friend Elaine.

"Sheila," she said, "I'm worried about my sister's friend Terri. She says she's going to kill herself. She's got it all planned. She wants to do it on her birthday. Will you pray for her, please?"

"Of course I'll pray for her."

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later and let you know how she's doing."

"Okay, bye."

I had no sooner put the phone down than it rang again. It was one of my new Christian friends, Tom.

"Good morning, Sheila. How's it going?"

"Okay, except I need to ask you to pray for a friend of a friend. Her name's Terri and she says she's going to kill herself."

"Okay, let's pray right now."

"Over the phone?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Okay."

Tom began praying, "Lord Jesus, we thank You that You love us even when we don't yet know You. Please be with Terri. Keep her from dying by her own hand so she can learn of You."

"Yes Jesus, thank You for your love and deliverance."

"Praise God!" Tom exclaimed. "It's done! He's already answered the prayer! She won't take her own life!"

"How do you know?"

"The Holy Spirit told me so."

"Okay, I'll take your word for it."

About two years later, Andrea showed up at my door. She held out her arms and, crying, she said, "I'm clean. I've given my heart to Christ and I'm off the needle."

She told me how a friend helped her through the withdrawals while she gave up shooting speed. She moved in with me and started going to church with me.

One night we decided to go visit another friend who still worked in a bar. We went into the dressing room to find Jodi and another dancer turned around. Seeing Andrea she cried out, "Andrea!"

Andrea cried out, "Terri!"

They hugged and Andrea said, "I want you to meet my sister-in-law…"

Before she finished, Terri saw me and said, "Sheila!"

"Terri," I exclaimed, and we hugged. Andrea just looked back and forth with her mouth hanging open.

We visited with Terri and Jodi for a few minutes then we left. On the way home, Andrea asked me how I knew Terri.

"She used to be the best friend of my best friend's younger sister and sometimes we'd all hang out together. How do you know her?"

"We were roommates and we even had a suicide pact at one time."

I felt chills go down my spine. "What do you mean?"

"We decided that this world was such a rotten place that we wanted to leave it and take our kids with us. We closed all the windows and doors and stuffed rags in any openings. Then we turned off the pilots on the gas range and turned on all the burners and the oven, leaving the oven door open. We put the kids down for their naps and lay down with them."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I'm not really sure," she answered. "Just as I was dozing off, I came wide awake and thought, 'What am I doing?' I jumped up and turned off the stove and opened all the doors and windows. Terri was furious, but I just knew I couldn't go through with it."

I told her about Elaine calling to ask me to pray for Terri not to commit suicide. "Isn't God good?" I asked. "Even though I thought I was only praying for Terri, He knew you and the kids needed it too."


	5. Chapter 5: The child's not dead!

**Chapter 5**

(1980)

My father was not a Christian and he died in 1976. He had just come out of the hospital with chest pains. It was Saturday night; the night before Halloween. Since Halloween was on a Sunday, the neighborhood kids were trick-or-treating on Saturday.

Mama and Daddy raised German Shepherds and had only three at the time. Mama let the dogs out before bedtime and when she went to let them in, only one came in and she saw two dark lumps out in the yard. She called to Daddy and said, "Bill, I think the dogs are dead!"

Daddy went out to check and they were dead. They thought maybe some kids gave them something that killed them. He called the vet who told him to bring them (and the live dog) to the office and he'd meet him there. So Daddy went out and lifted the dogs, one at a time, and carried them to the car. When he came in to get Val, the one dog left alive, Mama said he had a pain hit him so bad he couldn't speak for a few minutes.

He drove to the vet's office and again lifted each dog out of the car. The car wouldn't start so he pushed it to try to get it to start. Evidently he got it started because when the police found him, he had pulled over into a parking space and the car was running, but he was lying over in the seat, dead from a heart attack.

A few years later, my mother and I were talking and I said, "I'm only sad that Daddy didn't know the Lord before he died."

She said, "You don't know that. He had time to pull the car into a parking space; you don't know what could have happened in those few minutes before he died."

"You're right. I never thought about that before."

So I began praying asking the Lord to reveal to me if Daddy was saved before he died.

One night I had a dream. I dreamed that I was at my sister's house and Daddy was there sitting in his recliner chair. Outside my sister's house, by the street, was a ditch. I was looking out the window and there was a baby lying in the ditch. An ambulance pulled up and the attendants picked up the baby and put it on a stretcher. Its head was covered with blood. As they put the stretcher into the ambulance, the baby moved its head from facing forward to facing sideways, looking toward me. When I saw that, I said, "The child's not dead. The child's not dead!"

Usually I forget my dreams, or at least most of the dream. This one stayed with me. I could relate it - and did - over and over. I asked several of my Christian friends if they could interpret my dream.

One night we were having a prayer gathering at my house and I asked several people about the dream. No one could tell me anything about it - until I asked Tim.

Tim said, "Maybe your dad's not dead."

"Of course he's dead," I answered. "I was at his funeral."

"No," he replied, "I mean, maybe he's not dead spiritually."

When he said that, I felt the Spirit in me agreeing with him and I knew then that my father is in Heaven with The Father.


	6. Chapter 6: He that is in me

**Chapter 6**

(1980?)

One night I went to the Sonshine Inn - a Christian coffee house I discovered shortly after I got saved - and had a great time praising the Lord. Afterwards, I got a ride home with some of the brothers who had a van. I was dating a man who lived a few blocks from my home and I had told him I'd come by before I went home. It was about midnight when the brother's dropped me off at Preston's house.

When he saw me get out of a van, he asked me who brought me home. I told him it was some of the brothers who were at the Sonsine. He became furious and started accusing me of all kinds of indecencies. I became angry and left for home.

As I was walking down the street towards my house, I kept repeating, "He that is in me is stronger than he that is in the world; praise God!"

Each time I said it, I got stronger and it got louder: "He that is in me is stronger than he that is in the world; **praise God**!"

Eventually I was practically shouting, **"He that is in me is stronger than he that is in the world; praise God!**

A car pulled up beside me and I heard a male voice ask, "Hey, you want a ride?"

I turned and saw two men in the car and the passenger was talking to me.

Smiling, I answered, "No thanks; my house is just up the street."

"You don't have to worry. We're not going to hurt you or anything."

Still smiling I replied, "I know you're not because my Father will protect me."

They drove away and I continued on to my house. Just before I reached my place, a man came walking towards me. "Why did you lie to me?" he asked

"What are you talking about? When did I lie to you?"

"Back there when you said your Father would protect you."

"Oh! You were the guy in the car?"

"Yes. You don't really believe that about your Father protecting you, do you?"

"Of course I do. Why do you think I said it?"

"Wasn't it just a line to get rid of us?"

"No, it wasn't just a line. I trust and believe my Father to protect me and care for me."

"Can we talk for a few minutes?"

"Sure, come on up."

I let him come up and sit on the porch. He ordered pizza and my 13-year-old foster daughter and I sat and talked with him. He told us that he had just gotten out of prison and gone to a bar. At the bar, he met the guy driving the car and they were just going out bar hopping. When they saw me walking, the driver asked him if he's ever forced a girl. My new friend said no, but he'd like to have a go. When I said what I said to them, they couldn't do anything but leave. But my new friend wanted to come back and talk to me. God had called him before he went to prison and he had been running from Him.

He stayed on the porch the whole time and finally left, after we prayed together, about 3:00 in the morning.


End file.
